| Biggie Smalls arrived in this world as Christopher | | | | Uptown Records A&R, and he loved it. Sean "Puffy" |
| George Letore Walllace. He was born May 21, 1972, in | | | | Combs signed Biggie Smalls and his first debut album |
| Brooklyn, New York. He was an honor student who | | | | as Notorious B.I.G., "Ready to Die", was a phenomenal |
| dropped out of high school. | | | | success. |
| His first career opportunity was that of an | | | | The first single called, "Juicy", immediately went gold in |
| entrepreneur in the illicit drug world. Biggie Smalls | | | | just weeks and within a year, the whole album went |
| dreamed of becoming famous in the music industry, | | | | triple platinum. The "Ready to Die" album had two |
| and his tenacity to get there paid off. | | | | singles on it that went straight to the top, they were, |
| He was 6'3" tall and hit the scale at over 300 pounds. | | | | "One More Chance", and "Big Poppa". |
| He chose the nickname, "Biggie", because he was big | | | | He maintained this same level of unparalleled success |
| and intimidating and it suited him well. He was also | | | | with his second album, "Life after Death". These |
| known as Big Poppa, B.I.G., and The Black Frank White, | | | | albums and singles were hitting the charts and |
| to name a few. | | | | billboards like nobody's business. |
| He made a rap tape with Mister Cee and entered it in | | | | Tragically, on March 9, 1997, Biggie Smalls' life was cut |
| a Source magazine Competition called, "Unsigned | | | | short when he was ambushed, and then shot and killed |
| Hype", and won. This was the beginning of doors | | | | by unknown assailants, after attending an event |
| opening in his new career. | | | | sponsored by VIBE Magazine. Up to the time of his |
| That same tape made its way into the hands of Sean | | | | death, he was known as a hip hop legend and one of |
| "Puffy" Combs, who at the time was a producer for | | | | the most brilliant rappers of his era. |